Czech Republic - Factors To Watch on March 26

                                
  PRAGUE, March 26 (Reuters) - Here are news stories, press
reports and events to watch which may affect Czech financial
markets on Friday.
                                
 ALL TIMES GMT (Czech Republic: GMT + 1 hour)

=========================ECONOMIC DATA=========================
                                
 Real-time economic data releases....................<ECONCZ>
                                
 Previous stories on Czech data.............[CZ-RTRS-LEN-ECI]
                                
 Overview of economic data and forecasts..........<CZ/ECON15>
                                
 Updates on CEE currencies............................[CEE/]
 
==========================TOP NEWS=============================
                                
 ODS LEADER QUITS RACE: Former Czech Prime Minister Mirek
Topolanek quit as candidate for the right-wing Civic Democrats
on Thursday, giving in to pressure from within his party two
months ahead of a May 28-29 general election.
                                
 Story: [ID:nLDE62O2KS] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-POL]
                                
 
                                
 RATES ON HOLD: The Czech central bank kept interest rates
flat as expected on Thursday, but two board members voted for a
cut and the bank hinted weak inflation could possibly open the
door to a rate reduction.
                                
 Story: [ID:nLDE62N1MD] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-CEN]
                                
 
                                
 CEE MARKETS: Hungarian ten-year bond yields fell to their
lowest in 28 months on Thursday due to a cut in supply, while
the Czech crown was little changed after the central bank kept
interest rates on hold.
                                
 Story: [ID:nLDE62O0GR] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-FRX]
  * For HIGHLIGHTS of presser double-click [ID:nLDE62O1K8]
                                
 
                                
 CZECH FUNDS: The volume of assets managed by Czech funds may
grow by up to 10 percent this year, with portfolios slightly
shifting in favour of equities, the head of the Czech Capital
Market Association (AKAT) said on Thursday. 
                                
 Story: [ID:nLDE62O0Q9] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-FUND]
                                
 
                                
 ORCO: Shareholders with more than 10 percent voting rights
in Orco Property Group <ORCOsp.PR> <ORCO.PA> have called for a
general meeting on a proposal to remove the company's chief
executive, they said on Thursday.
                                
 Story: [ID:nLDE62O0AN] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-REA]
                                
 
 ---------------------- MARKET SNAPSHOT ------------------------
 Index/Crown Currency  Latest    Prev    Pct change   Pct change
                                
                              close   on day       in 2010
 Czech Equities <.PX>    --      1196.9    1.1         7.12
 vs Euro    <EURCZK=>  25.309    25.351    0.17        3.83
 vs Dollar     <CZK=>  18.978    19.115    0.72       -3.27
 U.S. Equities <.DJI>  10841.21  10836.15  0.05        3.96
 Pvs close or current levels vs prior domestic close at 1600

========================PRESS DIGEST=========================
                                
 PPF-ECM HOLDING: PPF investment group will hold 75 percent
in a real estate holding created with Milan Janku, founder of
ECM Real Estate Investments <ECMPsp.PR>.
                                
 Hospodarske Noviny, page 20
                                
 
                                
 Reuters has not verified the media reports, nor does it
vouch for their accuracy.
                                
 
                                
 For Instant Views of key economic data click on
                                
[CZ/INSTANT]
 For summary of economic data and forecasts          <CZ/ECON01>
 For diary of forthcoming Czech events                [CZ/DIARY]
 For calendar of east European economic indicators  [CONV/DIARY]
 TOP NEWS -- Emerging markets                         [TOP/EMRG]
 TOP NEWS -- Convergence watch                        [TOP/EAST]

 For an economic indicator diary for the euro zone, the United
 States and other Group of Seven countries see         <G7TODAY>

 For real-time stock market index quotes click in brackets:
 Warsaw WIG20 <.WIG20>  Budapest BUX <.BUX>  Prague PX <.PX>

                                
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